PARLIAMENTARY.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 342, 23 July 1874, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

Atjcklakd and Mercer Railway, and Ragian Ooai Distkict. The Hon Mr Chamberlin asked the Son the Colonial Secretary, 'If the geological survey which hat been recommended to be made of the Raglan coal district has been made 1 ; and if not, when it will be made ? ' Last year he naked the Hon Dr Pollen whether it was the intention of the Government to have a geological survey made of the same j and what measures, if any* are intended to be taken in ordei to make it available The hon gentleman replied as follows : — • There was no objection on the part of the Government to the production of the correspondence, from which it would be found that a geological survey had been recommended to be made of the locality in which the discoverj was reported to have taken place.' The Hon Dr Pollen, said that the reason why the promisnd survey had not taken plac« was that tbo department under charge of the Geological Surveyor has been shortened during the present year. The Hon Mr Chamberlin asked the Hon the Colonial Secretary, "What amount of railway plant has beer ordered (in addition to that ordered in July, 1873), for th< Auckland and Mercer railway, and what quantity is on'iti way for that line ? Also, whether it is a fact that it wil require nine or ten engines to work the line ; 4nd how sooi it will be open to the public as far as Papakura or Drury ?' lie wished to claim the indulgence of the Council in giving his reasons for asking this question, and he hoped he woult be'allowed to quote two or three paragraphs from ono o: the leading newspapers «f tho colony, wbion. was generallj consideied to be a Government organ. Ho also-begged t< say that in asking the .question he had no , intention o: annoying the Gdvernment in any way whatever, and thai ho did not clip so in opposition 7 to the' Government. Ot the contrary, he wished to elicit information for the bene fit 1 of the public, and rather than to check the Governmeni in any way, to forward their operations. He would 2ik< to give one or two quotations from a newspaper. Th< lion the Speaker anict the hou member would scarcely b< in order. Only so much could be said in putting the q'ues tion as to enable the Hon the Colonial Secretaiy to replj to it. The Hon Mr Chamberlin 1 said he did not wish U introduce anything which would cause debate. He leanr that the Onehunga lino was paying its own expenses, am oven more than that — it was yielding at the rate of £840( a-year surplus. That was equal to about £1000 a mile pc: annum. Now, if ( that were the case it could not but bi desirable that the line should be opened to Mercer as sooi as possible, because if tbo short line to Onehunga was pay ing at the rate of £1000 per mile, the Mercer line, whicl would be forty-seven miles long, would return £47,000 pei annum. The Hon Dr Pollen aslted if he understood hi hon friend to say that the newspapers said so ? The Hot Mr Chamberlin said it was what he, had learnt. The Hoi Dr Pollen submitted, -with great respect, that it was bardlj fair to place him iii the position to have, to answer news paper statements. The Hon the Speaker intimated to th< lion member that he must not introduce debatable matter The Dr Pollen, in reply, said he was sorry he had in terrupted his hon friend, because there was a portioi of the question which without some kind of explanation was entirely unintelligible. He was not aware that he coul« say^ whether "it was a fact that it would require 9 or 1( engines to work tbo line." Perhaps bis hon friend woul( be good enougli f o tell him M.hat wat meant by such, & ques tioa P The Hon Mr Chamberiiin said he had beep informec that there was only ono engine on the way from England ir addition to three which were already on the line ; and m ii wni contemplated to open the lirie a,t as early a date at pos "sible'to Mercer, f hose three enetinei could not possibly carrj on (he traffic of the line, Ife wai desirous of knowing whether more engines were ejected. He had been told thai it would take nine or ten engines altogether to work the line from Aucklnnd to Morcor. The Hon Dr Pollen said ho hftc fcliafc dn.y, laid upon tbe lobJe retnrna relating to these railways, and he wbs quito prppared, further to lay apon th< tahh any rctuvn* of »peDifio mformntion which. Ids hot friend or any other fion member desired. If he would in « rnolioa for t«es,e pnpers, specify wbafc bo n anted, it xraaU give him a much better opportunity of discussing even th< opinions of newspapers than ci>«ld pos»ib)y be afforded on the presenb occasion. Ho could not at that moment saj what particular quantity of railwny maiennl was on fcb< way for the Auckland and Mercer railway line. But he ventured to «iy this geneiallyj that he relied »p entirely upon the s admirable management of that department, by the Minister who preiided over it, that he might venture without specific knowVdge to atiure his hon friend, that (i the contractors did their duty no inconvenience would result to the public through the non-completion of the contract. Abundant material would be found for the completion 6i the line, if the contractors ' used ' sufficient expedition to i finish the work within the prescribed time. As to the question whether or not nine or ten engines would be required to work the line, he could only answer that, in the words of Lord Dundronry, "Wo fella enn tell;" it depended so much upon circumstances over which neither himself nor his hon friend bad any control. — 2V. Z. Times.